For Alston, Bloom Is Off The Rose

NBA SUNDAY

Rafer Alston was Damon Jones last season with the Heat, a player left to shoot 3-pointers without much else in the way of responsibilities.

This season, he is closer to Eric Murdock, the former Heat point guard who didn't realize what he had until he was gone as a free agent.

As the Heat prepares to begin its second playoff chase in as many years, Alston has been forced to spend these closing weeks ducking for cover in Toronto.

Yes, the streetball legend has his six-year, $30 million contract to soothe his psyche, but he seemingly also has few friends north of the border.

The latest bout of misery came when Toronto guard Jalen Rose called out a teammate, without mentioning a name, about a lack of ball movement and a shoot-first mentality.

It didn't take Alston or others much time to connect those dots.

After firing back at Rose about taking his gripes to the media after remaining mum at a team meeting, Alston said he will arrive more assertive next season.

"I should have taken more of a leadership role from the point guard standpoint," he said. "That's what I'm going to work on this summer and, next season, come in and lead the team like a point guard should."